After taking a few seconds to recompose himself Liam assessed the book.
“Beginner’s Guide to Things that go Boom! Contains the Knowledge Theory – Chemicalized Creations. Item type – Knowledge Theory. Item Rarity – Common. Item Quality – Average. Description – This book contains the Knowledge Theory behind Chemicalized Creations. All knowledge in this book is meant for beginners learning how to make Chemicalized Creations. Does not contain Advanced or Master Level Knowledge Theory on any recipes, procedures, or ingredients for Chemicalized Creations. Reader has the chance to gain Knowledge Theory – Chemicalized Creations. Reader has the chance to gain the Chemicalized Creations section in Alchemy. Note – Chemicalized Creations section will only be available if reader meets requirements. Requirements – Craft Alchemy. Alchemy at level 15. Alchemy section - Mana Extraction level 10.”
Liam smiled as he placed the book down and look at the other items inside the bag. He pulled out two vials of the Chemicalized Creations Galin was referring to in the note he left and assessed them.
“Weak Implosive Heatwave. Item Type – Chemicalized Creation. Item Rarity – Uncommon. Item Quality – Weak. Description – Sucks in enemies within a 5 foot radius. Once when gravity orb hits the ground sends out a powerful wave of fire, covering all enemies within the radius. Gravitational Force Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 30 seconds. Burn Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 15 seconds.*”
“Weak Magnetic Shockwave. Item type – Chemicalized Creation. Item rarity – Uncommon. Item Quality – Weak. Description – Pulls any enemies within a 5 foot radius towards the gravity ball in the center. After a few seconds pass, a powerful shockwave will shoot out sending arcs of lightning towards the enemies. Arcs of lightning will also bounce off from one enemy to the next for ten seconds. Gravitational Force Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 30 seconds. 5% chance to paralyze enemies still alive. Lasts for 15 seconds.*”
As Liam assessed the items he noticed something odd about them. They had an Asterisk at the end of the description. He clicked on the one on the Weak Implosive Heatwave and watched as a new notification popped up.
“Ingredients used to make Weak Implosive Heatwave – Weak Liquified Fire Mana Extractions, Weak Liquified Gravity Mana Extractions, Weak Liquified Arcane Mana Extractions, Purified Water, Powder of a Crushed Arcane Crystal.”
Liam stared at it. After looking it over he realized this was what Galin was talking about. He had forgotten about this ability since at first it didn’t do much except allow him to read the description of items.
To be fair he just shrugged the ability off because his assess could do the same. However, now he was seeing this ability in a new light. If he came across new alchemical items he could see what ingredients they used and when he got it high enough he’d be able to see the process used to make them, making it easier for him to learn new things to make than to try and find the recipes from a random person.
It had been a while since he saw what level the ability was and pulled it up to check it out.
| Ability | Item Understandance | Ability Level | 19 | Skill Type | Instant |
| Ability Description | Gives you a better understanding of items that are craftable by assessing and using them. Can see ingredients used in Alchemical Items. |
Liam’s eyes widened. He hadn’t realized he had gotten the ability to level nineteen already. Since it was close to level twenty that meant a new added effect would come with the ability. He wasn’t sure what it would be, but he was hoping it would show the process each alchemical item had so he’d be able to get new recipes.
He placed both vials back into the bag and looked at the equipment Galin had gifted him. He had gifted him an upgraded Traveler’s Potion making Kit. The items he had gifted him were at Average quality which meant he wouldn’t be able to use them until he got his Potion Making at level twenty. The other items were a Beginner’s Poison Creating Travel Kit which entailed a Poor Small Poison Cauldron, Crude Poison Warding Mask, and a pair of crude Alchemy gloves.
The last set was one Liam didn’t expect. He thought he was going to get a Beginner’s Chemicalized Creation Traveler’s Kit since he had gifted him a book for it, but instead it was a Beginner’s Medicinal Creating Traveler’s Kit. This one had a Crude Motor and Crude Pestle.
“If I remember correctly Medicinal Creation was the Alchemy Art of making ointments, balms, and tonics right?” Liam quietly muttered to himself. “It might be a good idea to dabble a bit into it. I’ll need to know more on why I’d need to learn this when I have potions, but I guess it is always good to have variety.”
He then looked at the last bag. This bag had majority of the stuff he had back in the Tutorial Area along with a gift Nabal left him. As he looked in the bag he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, until he got to the end of the list in the bag. There were three items along with a note.
He pulled out the note and read it.
“Dear Liam,
I didn’t think coming to this Tutorial Area was the best use of my time. I believed it was going to be a waste. However, after taking you on as an apprentice I have found my earlier assessment to be folly. Thanks to your unique situation, I was able to learn a new way to grow and advance my skills. I believe the method you are using to learn dagger arts will be very vital to your growth.
“Do not stop progressing. Keep learning new Dagger Skill Arts and master them the way we have been practicing. I have left you three gifts. One is a thank you present for your help. It is the rectangular box with a four card symbol on them. I will tell you now, it is locked up and will not open up till you reach a certain level in the sub-stats Agility, Fine Motor, and Reflex. You will also need your Weapon Skill in Daggers and Throwing Weapons to be at a certain level as well. I will not tell you what those levels are in order to help you focus on leveling and honing those sub-stats without having to stop and keep checking.”
Liam pulled out the box Nabal had mentioned in the letter. It was a tannish rectangular box with what looked like Four playing cards from his home world. Each card held a symbol on it. A Diamond, a Heart, a Club, and a Spade. It also had a weird looking lock on it. It wasn’t a padded lock or a key lock, instead it had a magic circle where a normal key hole would go.”
Knowing he couldn’t open it Liam continued reading the letter.
“The other two gifts are connected to each other and are from me as your mentor, however you must decide on whether you want to continue being my apprentice before you put this gift on. The box will only open if you accept to continue being my apprentice. If you decide that our Mentor and Apprentice relationship has concluded then do not put my gift on and the box will not open. If do decide to continue being my apprentice then put the gift on.”
Confused, Liam looked at the last two items to get a better look at what Nabal was saying. One was a square box a little bigger than his hand. The other was a pair of earrings.
. Each earring was a small dagger. One was a red dagger with a black outlined Heart symbol placed where the blade and the hilt met while a wicked joker grin was right above it on the handle. The other had a black dagger with a red outlined Club symbol placed where the blade and the hilt met while a wicked joker grin was right above it on the handle.
Liam assessed them.
“Earrings of the Apprentice of the Wild Card. Item type – Accessory Set (Ears). Item Rarity – Rare. Item Quality – Average. +25 Damage when successfully landing Dagger Art techniques. +25 Damage when successfully landing dagger strikes. +15% Resistance to Illusion Magic. Item Description – A pair of earrings given to the apprentice of the Wild Card. Both earrings must be worn to get full effects. Prevention Magic has been placed on items. Both Earrings will be destroyed instantly if the items are stolen or sold.”
Liam stared at the earrings. He wasn’t sure why he would have to wear these to accept being his apprentice. He wasn’t sure if it was a tradition of sorts, a passage, or what not. He looked back at the letter to see if there was any clarification.
“They are meant to signify that you are an apprentice of mine. It ties in with the gift in the box. You can not sell them. The moment you try they will be destroyed. I had someone put a magic spell to help identify the wearer. They will also be destroyed if anyone tries stealing them from you. Wear them with pride if you so choose.
Good Luck out there and try not to die. Seek me out if you wish to learn more from me.
Best Regards,
Nabal.”
“I guess he won’t say why it matters besides the whole box thing,” Liam commented as he looked back at the earrings. He then turned his gaze at the box and thought over the pros and cons. He liked Nabal. He had not only helped him grow, but also looked out for him when he didn’t have to. If he had the chance he would love to learn more from him.
The only cons he could think about was that he truly didn’t know Nabal fully. He had heard of his clan and what they were like from Galin and wasn’t sure if this was his way of trying to make him join his clan. He already had enough issues with the hooded guy from earlier that he didn’t want more issues with another clan.
Liam stared at the earrings once more. They looked pretty cool to him, but he wasn’t sure about having dangling earrings. He also liked the effects they gave since these would up his damage when using daggers and Dagger Arts, which would help. If he did accept the meaning behind the gift Nabal had left then he would just have to get used to wearing them.
After thinking it over some more, Liam came to a decision.
He took them and pierced them in his earlobe. At first he thought he missed because he didn’t feel any pain as he pierced the sharp ends through. Albeit, after seeing that they didn’t fall to the ground when he let go he knew they were in place. After he did that he shook his head lightly to get a feel for them. He hardly noticed them when he did that, so he tried shaking his head harder. Again, he didn’t feel them hit the sides of his head.
“Hm, good,” Liam muttered feeling satisfied with the gift.
“Are you done shaking your head? You look like a wet dog trying to dry itself off? – Eri.”
Liam frowned at her comment. I had to see how they felt since I didn’t want any distractions while I’m fighting.
“You don’t have to worry about that. Any earrings, especially the dangling type, won’t cause any distractions unless there is a spell placed on them to do so. Anyways, it looks like your mentors really came through for you. With these items you can focus and get farther in your crafting while you wait for the Stat Shatter Debuff to disappear. – Eri.
Before Liam could respond the smaller square shaped box suddenly shook. The shaking was light and was for a brief moment. After it stopped a click sound escaped from the box, allowing the top to open up slightly.
Liam stared at it before slowly opening the top. He raised a brow as he looked inside of it. There was a note resting on top of something. He pulled the note out and saw that underneath the note was a nice tannish cloth like material wrapping around a small object.
Liam looked at the note first.
“Liam, you reading this note means that you did accept being my apprentice. That is good. However, it also means that you are stupid for not truly understanding what it means to be my apprentice. I will now explain what it entails. Being my apprentice doesn’t mean you are just learning some Dagger Arts. It means you will be learning how to survive using the ways of the hidden, the crafty, the sly…and even the way of a killer. The object inside this box will allow you to enter a Hidden Association.
“I’m not sure if your other mentors have mentioned these before, but in case they haven’t; This world had two types of Associations. There are the Surface Associations, the ones you see everywhere, like the Adventurer Association. And then there is the Hidden Associations. These ones are associations hidden from those who do not belong to them. The one I am going to have you join is called the Fiddler’s Spider Web.
“The Fiddler’s Spider Web deals in stealing, reconnaissance, protecting, and assassinations. They have plenty of work for you to help earn money wherever you are in the world. You can also buy and sell items you do not want to sell in the regular markets. Your extra Alchemy and Blacksmithing items you are having a hard time selling could be sold there as well as finding ingredients for poisons and such, or even rarer ingredients can be found there.
“Using this Association will help you grow and master your techniques. You can also find new ones as well as Knowledge Theory books with manuals on almost any Weapon Arts you want to learn, not just daggers. To find this place just look for a Violin shop in any city or town. On the sign you will see a small spider at any of the corners. Go around back and look for a sign with a spider’s web in the shape of a fiddle on the wall. Knock on the picture and say this phrase, ‘Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.’
It will alert someone that you are indeed there for the Fiddler’s Spider Web Association. When someone asks for your name, Do not give them your real name. Tell them you were sent by your mentor and let them see the earrings. They will understand who sent you there.
“You will be given a test to prove your capabilities and with the results you will earn your Web Name. This name is so you don’t have anyone know who you truly are in case there is a bounty on you, or a mission given to kill you, no one will truly know who you are. I must also warn you. When you do go there, wear something that hides your face and do not go there in normal looking clothes. They will look down and think you are easy pickings and no apprentice of mine will be a target for that.
“I look forward to hearing of your work and the name the Association gives you. Good luck not to fuck that up and take care not to die.”
Liam stared at the last part of the note with a wide open mouth expression. In a low and quiet-like volume he muttered, “What the fuck?”
Liam then looked at the cloth wrapped up inside the box. He slowly and cautiously reached for it and unwrapped it. Inside the cloth was a black pocket watch with a spider web in the shape of a fiddle.
The more Liam stared at the picture on the watch the more he felt like he recognized it. “Huh, that looks like the fiddle on a Recluse spider.”
“Liam…I know I said that your mentors really came through for you. However, I must add that out of the three, this Nabal guy really came through for you. – Eri.”
Confused, Liam raised a brow and asked, What do you mean?
“What I mean is, the item you have in your hands is something that will come in handy in more ways than one. The Fiddler’s Spider Web Association is a great Association to be introduced to. This is by far the best thing you could have been given. – Eri.”
Keeping the brow raised, Liam was still confused. He thought the Knowledge Theory books were pretty damn good, but seeing Eri’s reaction to this item made him really want to know more.
Again, what do you mean? Please explain better why this is by far the best thing I could have gotten.
“At first glance you would think this Association is only meant for rogue like classes. However, that is far from the truth. Many different classes are welcomed into this Association. Charmers, Bards, even Crafters. No class is unwelcomed…well maybe except the paladin class and classes similar to it. You can buy rare ingredients you will need for your experiments like poison crafting and Chemicalized Creations. You can get Knowledge Theories on almost anything like the Artificer Craft. – Eri.”
Artificer Craft? Liam interrupted. He didn’t know there was a craft like this. If it was just like what he was imagining then he was getting pumped.
“Yes. However, it is too soon for you to be learning the Artificer craft. It is an advanced craft that ties in with a few other crafts. – Eri.”
Liam frowned at that.
“The Association is also good because you can gain money and prestige from how many successful quests you complete. The amount of failed quests can also hurt you as well. So, you will have to think carefully what kind of quests you take. The quests they offer range from stealing items, knowledge, information and more. Crafting certain types of poisons, chemicalized creations, weapons, armor, healing items and more are also requested from time to time. There are other quests that will have you do reconnaissance and maybe spy on other nations for clients. They can also hand you assassination quests as well. – Eri.”
Liam’s body froze as he read that last part. Some of the things Eri had listed off made him think about some things he really wanted to forget about. Some of the other things he read her say made him think it would be a good idea to use this association. However, that last thing she said made some really bad memories pop up.
He was about to down right decline joining this association after trying to suppress the memories that popped up, but stopped as Eri continued.
“Just like assassination quests though there are rare ones where you can get a request to protect the individual instead just to throw off assassination attempt and the client. The Association leaves it up to the person taking the quest and quests are up to you to pick on what you want to do. However, that is not the real reason why I think this is a great gift. – Eri.”
Liam felt better after reading what she wrote, but was also curious as to why she was really excited about this Association. Oh? What is it?
“The reason why I highly advise you do take Nabal up on this is because of the rule of secrecy and the fact you get a Web Name. In other words, this is the best way to spread my nature without anyone knowing it is you doing it. This Association was built to cause Chaos and I want to utilize that! – Eri.”
Liam thought about what she had said. It was true. If he was going to spread her nature and cause chaos throughout the world then it would be better if it was under a fake name. One that would not tie the consequences or results to him…if he did it right that is.
After thinking it over, Liam nodded. Alright, I can see and understand why you are excited about this. However, I have a condition.
“What is your condition? – Eri.”
No assassination quests…I don’t know how I feel about killing another being. Liam responded.
“Then don’t pick the assassination quests that require you to kill another being. – Eri.”
Liam blinked at the last message. He was a bit confused and was about to ask what she meant when she answered his thoughts.
“Assassination quests are not just aimed at beings. There are some to kill beasts or pets or creatures similar to that nature. – Eri.”
Really?
“*Nods head* Yes. If killing another being gets your knickers in a twist then don’t do it. Just accept different types of assassinations. – Eri.”
Liam frowned at her jab, but also felt a bit relieved. If he didn’t have to do that and add on more to the memories he wanted to forget then that would make him feel better.
Alright, fine. I will join this association. But I think I’ll wait a bit first since I have this Stat Shatter Debuff. That being said…what should I do first? Liam questioned as he stood up and stretched. He looked at his internal clock and noted it was only four in the afternoon. I’m going to need to get some supplies if I want to work on my tailoring and I should probably make some more Health, Mana, and Stamina potions if I want to level it up to twenty.
“I think you should head over to the Crafters Association first and get your C.I.D. before you start making any potions. Best to get that out of the way now. After a couple of days then get you’re A.I.D. – Eri.”
Liam nodded as he thought about her suggestion. Alright, I’ll go do that now.
After taking a few seconds to recompose himself Liam assessed the book.
“Beginner’s Guide to Things that go Boom! Contains the Knowledge Theory – Chemicalized Creations. Item type – Knowledge Theory. Item Rarity – Common. Item Quality – Average. Description – This book contains the Knowledge Theory behind Chemicalized Creations. All knowledge in this book is meant for beginners learning how to make Chemicalized Creations. Does not contain Advanced or Master Level Knowledge Theory on any recipes, procedures, or ingredients for Chemicalized Creations. Reader has the chance to gain Knowledge Theory – Chemicalized Creations. Reader has the chance to gain the Chemicalized Creations section in Alchemy. Note – Chemicalized Creations section will only be available if reader meets requirements. Requirements – Craft Alchemy. Alchemy at level 15. Alchemy section - Mana Extraction level 10.”
Liam smiled as he placed the book down and look at the other items inside the bag. He pulled out two vials of the Chemicalized Creations Galin was referring to in the note he left and assessed them.
“Weak Implosive Heatwave. Item Type – Chemicalized Creation. Item Rarity – Uncommon. Item Quality – Weak. Description – Sucks in enemies within a 5 foot radius. Once when gravity orb hits the ground sends out a powerful wave of fire, covering all enemies within the radius. Gravitational Force Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 30 seconds. Burn Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 15 seconds.*”
“Weak Magnetic Shockwave. Item type – Chemicalized Creation. Item rarity – Uncommon. Item Quality – Weak. Description – Pulls any enemies within a 5 foot radius towards the gravity ball in the center. After a few seconds pass, a powerful shockwave will shoot out sending arcs of lightning towards the enemies. Arcs of lightning will also bounce off from one enemy to the next for ten seconds. Gravitational Force Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 30 seconds. 5% chance to paralyze enemies still alive. Lasts for 15 seconds.*”
As Liam assessed the items he noticed something odd about them. They had an Asterisk at the end of the description. He clicked on the one on the Weak Implosive Heatwave and watched as a new notification popped up.
“Ingredients used to make Weak Implosive Heatwave – Weak Liquified Fire Mana Extractions, Weak Liquified Gravity Mana Extractions, Weak Liquified Arcane Mana Extractions, Purified Water, Powder of a Crushed Arcane Crystal.”
Liam stared at it. After looking it over he realized this was what Galin was talking about. He had forgotten about this ability since at first it didn’t do much except allow him to read the description of items.
To be fair he just shrugged the ability off because his assess could do the same. However, now he was seeing this ability in a new light. If he came across new alchemical items he could see what ingredients they used and when he got it high enough he’d be able to see the process used to make them, making it easier for him to learn new things to make than to try and find the recipes from a random person.
It had been a while since he saw what level the ability was and pulled it up to check it out.
| Ability | Item Understandance | Ability Level | 19 | Skill Type | Instant |
| Ability Description | Gives you a better understanding of items that are craftable by assessing and using them. Can see ingredients used in Alchemical Items. |
Liam’s eyes widened. He hadn’t realized he had gotten the ability to level nineteen already. Since it was close to level twenty that meant a new added effect would come with the ability. He wasn’t sure what it would be, but he was hoping it would show the process each alchemical item had so he’d be able to get new recipes.
He placed both vials back into the bag and looked at the equipment Galin had gifted him. He had gifted him an upgraded Traveler’s Potion making Kit. The items he had gifted him were at Average quality which meant he wouldn’t be able to use them until he got his Potion Making at level twenty. The other items were a Beginner’s Poison Creating Travel Kit which entailed a Poor Small Poison Cauldron, Crude Poison Warding Mask, and a pair of crude Alchemy gloves.
The last set was one Liam didn’t expect. He thought he was going to get a Beginner’s Chemicalized Creation Traveler’s Kit since he had gifted him a book for it, but instead it was a Beginner’s Medicinal Creating Traveler’s Kit. This one had a Crude Motor and Crude Pestle.
“If I remember correctly Medicinal Creation was the Alchemy Art of making ointments, balms, and tonics right?” Liam quietly muttered to himself. “It might be a good idea to dabble a bit into it. I’ll need to know more on why I’d need to learn this when I have potions, but I guess it is always good to have variety.”
He then looked at the last bag. This bag had majority of the stuff he had back in the Tutorial Area along with a gift Nabal left him. As he looked in the bag he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, until he got to the end of the list in the bag. There were three items along with a note.
He pulled out the note and read it.
“Dear Liam,
I didn’t think coming to this Tutorial Area was the best use of my time. I believed it was going to be a waste. However, after taking you on as an apprentice I have found my earlier assessment to be folly. Thanks to your unique situation, I was able to learn a new way to grow and advance my skills. I believe the method you are using to learn dagger arts will be very vital to your growth.
“Do not stop progressing. Keep learning new Dagger Skill Arts and master them the way we have been practicing. I have left you three gifts. One is a thank you present for your help. It is the rectangular box with a four card symbol on them. I will tell you now, it is locked up and will not open up till you reach a certain level in the sub-stats Agility, Fine Motor, and Reflex. You will also need your Weapon Skill in Daggers and Throwing Weapons to be at a certain level as well. I will not tell you what those levels are in order to help you focus on leveling and honing those sub-stats without having to stop and keep checking.”
Liam pulled out the box Nabal had mentioned in the letter. It was a tannish rectangular box with what looked like Four playing cards from his home world. Each card held a symbol on it. A Diamond, a Heart, a Club, and a Spade. It also had a weird looking lock on it. It wasn’t a padded lock or a key lock, instead it had a magic circle where a normal key hole would go.”
Knowing he couldn’t open it Liam continued reading the letter.
“The other two gifts are connected to each other and are from me as your mentor, however you must decide on whether you want to continue being my apprentice before you put this gift on. The box will only open if you accept to continue being my apprentice. If you decide that our Mentor and Apprentice relationship has concluded then do not put my gift on and the box will not open. If do decide to continue being my apprentice then put the gift on.”
Confused, Liam looked at the last two items to get a better look at what Nabal was saying. One was a square box a little bigger than his hand. The other was a pair of earrings.
. Each earring was a small dagger. One was a red dagger with a black outlined Heart symbol placed where the blade and the hilt met while a wicked joker grin was right above it on the handle. The other had a black dagger with a red outlined Club symbol placed where the blade and the hilt met while a wicked joker grin was right above it on the handle.
Liam assessed them.
“Earrings of the Apprentice of the Wild Card. Item type – Accessory Set (Ears). Item Rarity – Rare. Item Quality – Average. +25 Damage when successfully landing Dagger Art techniques. +25 Damage when successfully landing dagger strikes. +15% Resistance to Illusion Magic. Item Description – A pair of earrings given to the apprentice of the Wild Card. Both earrings must be worn to get full effects. Prevention Magic has been placed on items. Both Earrings will be destroyed instantly if the items are stolen or sold.”
Liam stared at the earrings. He wasn’t sure why he would have to wear these to accept being his apprentice. He wasn’t sure if it was a tradition of sorts, a passage, or what not. He looked back at the letter to see if there was any clarification.
“They are meant to signify that you are an apprentice of mine. It ties in with the gift in the box. You can not sell them. The moment you try they will be destroyed. I had someone put a magic spell to help identify the wearer. They will also be destroyed if anyone tries stealing them from you. Wear them with pride if you so choose.
Good Luck out there and try not to die. Seek me out if you wish to learn more from me.
Best Regards,
Nabal.”
“I guess he won’t say why it matters besides the whole box thing,” Liam commented as he looked back at the earrings. He then turned his gaze at the box and thought over the pros and cons. He liked Nabal. He had not only helped him grow, but also looked out for him when he didn’t have to. If he had the chance he would love to learn more from him.
The only cons he could think about was that he truly didn’t know Nabal fully. He had heard of his clan and what they were like from Galin and wasn’t sure if this was his way of trying to make him join his clan. He already had enough issues with the hooded guy from earlier that he didn’t want more issues with another clan.
Liam stared at the earrings once more. They looked pretty cool to him, but he wasn’t sure about having dangling earrings. He also liked the effects they gave since these would up his damage when using daggers and Dagger Arts, which would help. If he did accept the meaning behind the gift Nabal had left then he would just have to get used to wearing them.
After thinking it over some more, Liam came to a decision.
He took them and pierced them in his earlobe. At first he thought he missed because he didn’t feel any pain as he pierced the sharp ends through. Albeit, after seeing that they didn’t fall to the ground when he let go he knew they were in place. After he did that he shook his head lightly to get a feel for them. He hardly noticed them when he did that, so he tried shaking his head harder. Again, he didn’t feel them hit the sides of his head.
“Hm, good,” Liam muttered feeling satisfied with the gift.
“Are you done shaking your head? You look like a wet dog trying to dry itself off? – Eri.”
Liam frowned at her comment. I had to see how they felt since I didn’t want any distractions while I’m fighting.
“You don’t have to worry about that. Any earrings, especially the dangling type, won’t cause any distractions unless there is a spell placed on them to do so. Anyways, it looks like your mentors really came through for you. With these items you can focus and get farther in your crafting while you wait for the Stat Shatter Debuff to disappear. – Eri.
Before Liam could respond the smaller square shaped box suddenly shook. The shaking was light and was for a brief moment. After it stopped a click sound escaped from the box, allowing the top to open up slightly.
Liam stared at it before slowly opening the top. He raised a brow as he looked inside of it. There was a note resting on top of something. He pulled the note out and saw that underneath the note was a nice tannish cloth like material wrapping around a small object.
Liam looked at the note first.
“Liam, you reading this note means that you did accept being my apprentice. That is good. However, it also means that you are stupid for not truly understanding what it means to be my apprentice. I will now explain what it entails. Being my apprentice doesn’t mean you are just learning some Dagger Arts. It means you will be learning how to survive using the ways of the hidden, the crafty, the sly…and even the way of a killer. The object inside this box will allow you to enter a Hidden Association.
“I’m not sure if your other mentors have mentioned these before, but in case they haven’t; This world had two types of Associations. There are the Surface Associations, the ones you see everywhere, like the Adventurer Association. And then there is the Hidden Associations. These ones are associations hidden from those who do not belong to them. The one I am going to have you join is called the Fiddler’s Spider Web.
“The Fiddler’s Spider Web deals in stealing, reconnaissance, protecting, and assassinations. They have plenty of work for you to help earn money wherever you are in the world. You can also buy and sell items you do not want to sell in the regular markets. Your extra Alchemy and Blacksmithing items you are having a hard time selling could be sold there as well as finding ingredients for poisons and such, or even rarer ingredients can be found there.
“Using this Association will help you grow and master your techniques. You can also find new ones as well as Knowledge Theory books with manuals on almost any Weapon Arts you want to learn, not just daggers. To find this place just look for a Violin shop in any city or town. On the sign you will see a small spider at any of the corners. Go around back and look for a sign with a spider’s web in the shape of a fiddle on the wall. Knock on the picture and say this phrase, ‘Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.’
It will alert someone that you are indeed there for the Fiddler’s Spider Web Association. When someone asks for your name, Do not give them your real name. Tell them you were sent by your mentor and let them see the earrings. They will understand who sent you there.
“You will be given a test to prove your capabilities and with the results you will earn your Web Name. This name is so you don’t have anyone know who you truly are in case there is a bounty on you, or a mission given to kill you, no one will truly know who you are. I must also warn you. When you do go there, wear something that hides your face and do not go there in normal looking clothes. They will look down and think you are easy pickings and no apprentice of mine will be a target for that.
“I look forward to hearing of your work and the name the Association gives you. Good luck not to fuck that up and take care not to die.”
Liam stared at the last part of the note with a wide open mouth expression. In a low and quiet-like volume he muttered, “What the fuck?”
Liam then looked at the cloth wrapped up inside the box. He slowly and cautiously reached for it and unwrapped it. Inside the cloth was a black pocket watch with a spider web in the shape of a fiddle.
The more Liam stared at the picture on the watch the more he felt like he recognized it. “Huh, that looks like the fiddle on a Recluse spider.”
“Liam…I know I said that your mentors really came through for you. However, I must add that out of the three, this Nabal guy really came through for you. – Eri.”
Confused, Liam raised a brow and asked, What do you mean?
“What I mean is, the item you have in your hands is something that will come in handy in more ways than one. The Fiddler’s Spider Web Association is a great Association to be introduced to. This is by far the best thing you could have been given. – Eri.”
Keeping the brow raised, Liam was still confused. He thought the Knowledge Theory books were pretty damn good, but seeing Eri’s reaction to this item made him really want to know more.
Again, what do you mean? Please explain better why this is by far the best thing I could have gotten.
“At first glance you would think this Association is only meant for rogue like classes. However, that is far from the truth. Many different classes are welcomed into this Association. Charmers, Bards, even Crafters. No class is unwelcomed…well maybe except the paladin class and classes similar to it. You can buy rare ingredients you will need for your experiments like poison crafting and Chemicalized Creations. You can get Knowledge Theories on almost anything like the Artificer Craft. – Eri.”
Artificer Craft? Liam interrupted. He didn’t know there was a craft like this. If it was just like what he was imagining then he was getting pumped.
“Yes. However, it is too soon for you to be learning the Artificer craft. It is an advanced craft that ties in with a few other crafts. – Eri.”
Liam frowned at that.
“The Association is also good because you can gain money and prestige from how many successful quests you complete. The amount of failed quests can also hurt you as well. So, you will have to think carefully what kind of quests you take. The quests they offer range from stealing items, knowledge, information and more. Crafting certain types of poisons, chemicalized creations, weapons, armor, healing items and more are also requested from time to time. There are other quests that will have you do reconnaissance and maybe spy on other nations for clients. They can also hand you assassination quests as well. – Eri.”
Liam’s body froze as he read that last part. Some of the things Eri had listed off made him think about some things he really wanted to forget about. Some of the other things he read her say made him think it would be a good idea to use this association. However, that last thing she said made some really bad memories pop up.
He was about to down right decline joining this association after trying to suppress the memories that popped up, but stopped as Eri continued.
“Just like assassination quests though there are rare ones where you can get a request to protect the individual instead just to throw off assassination attempt and the client. The Association leaves it up to the person taking the quest and quests are up to you to pick on what you want to do. However, that is not the real reason why I think this is a great gift. – Eri.”
Liam felt better after reading what she wrote, but was also curious as to why she was really excited about this Association. Oh? What is it?
“The reason why I highly advise you do take Nabal up on this is because of the rule of secrecy and the fact you get a Web Name. In other words, this is the best way to spread my nature without anyone knowing it is you doing it. This Association was built to cause Chaos and I want to utilize that! – Eri.”
Liam thought about what she had said. It was true. If he was going to spread her nature and cause chaos throughout the world then it would be better if it was under a fake name. One that would not tie the consequences or results to him…if he did it right that is.
After thinking it over, Liam nodded. Alright, I can see and understand why you are excited about this. However, I have a condition.
“What is your condition? – Eri.”
No assassination quests…I don’t know how I feel about killing another being. Liam responded.
“Then don’t pick the assassination quests that require you to kill another being. – Eri.”
Liam blinked at the last message. He was a bit confused and was about to ask what she meant when she answered his thoughts.
“Assassination quests are not just aimed at beings. There are some to kill beasts or pets or creatures similar to that nature. – Eri.”
Really?
“*Nods head* Yes. If killing another being gets your knickers in a twist then don’t do it. Just accept different types of assassinations. – Eri.”
Liam frowned at her jab, but also felt a bit relieved. If he didn’t have to do that and add on more to the memories he wanted to forget then that would make him feel better.
Alright, fine. I will join this association. But I think I’ll wait a bit first since I have this Stat Shatter Debuff. That being said…what should I do first? Liam questioned as he stood up and stretched. He looked at his internal clock and noted it was only four in the afternoon. I’m going to need to get some supplies if I want to work on my tailoring and I should probably make some more Health, Mana, and Stamina potions if I want to level it up to twenty.
“I think you should head over to the Crafters Association first and get your C.I.D. before you start making any potions. Best to get that out of the way now. After a couple of days then get you’re A.I.D. – Eri.”
Liam nodded as he thought about her suggestion. Alright, I’ll go do that now.
